THIS WAS TAKEN FROM THE PORTSMOUTH DAILY TIMES "FOCUS" PAPER.
Written by Jeremy D. Wells.
It was Saturday at the park, and you'd think it was the fourth of July. Little kids skipped around the civil war memorial, someone stood on a stone wall and blew bubbles out over the heads of her friends, and the audience members milled about, standing in circles to talk and waiting for the bands. If this were a large metropolitan area, such a gathering wouldn't draw a second glance. But this is Portsmouth, and such an occurrence is not commonplace . . . yet.
On Saturday, May 6, Members of Day 9, Voodoo 101, and the Shaefer's played to a mixed crowd at Portsmouth's Tracy Park. This show, coordinated by Cosmic Hermit Productions, isn't the first of its kind. An earlier show featured local talents Filtheology, The Vacants, and Mutha 8-track. While that show had a definite punk/hardcore feel to it, the May 6 show was a bit more eclectic.
Day 9 describes their sound as "post alterna-grunge". The band, vocalist Josh Murphy, drummer Jason Burnside, guitarist Brandon Hire, and bass player Sam Altman, definitely let their grunge roots show. Day 9 was impressive, with a tight, but derivative sound. The group shows potential, and can only stand to improve as they expand beyond the narrow "Grunge" focus.
The second band on Saturday's bill was McArthur, Ohio- based Voodoo 101. The members of Voodoo 101 draw from a mixed bag of influences, with sounds ranging from bass driven funk to blues to pop. Bassist Kevin Belcher started things off slapping a funky bass line, backed by drummer Mark LeMaster and guitarist Andy Allman. Vocalist Kim Wood has a soulful voice that blends well with the work of her band mates. The band can do a decent cover, but it's on original tunes such as "belly" where Voodoo 101 shine (think No Doubt without the overt ska influence).
Portsmouth based ska band the Schaefer's capped off the evening. The Schaefer's performed with their characteristic enthusiasm, the horn section leaving the stage like skanking pied pipers coaxing the audience into dance. The Schaefer's peppered their set of originals with cover tunes done as only the shaefer's can do them. One highlight of the Schaefer's set was the 80's hair-band flashback ska version of Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me."
Hopefully such performances will become commonplace around the Portsmouth area. Young talent needs an outlet and an opportunity to establish themselves, whether locally or on a larger scale. Besides, where else can you get six hours of live music for a buck?